Electric iron



W. L. GOULD ELECTRIC I RON Sept. 24, 1946.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 15, 1944 Inventor MLL/AM L. Gnu/.0,

P 1946. WJL. GOULD 2fi$fi ELECTRIC IRON 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 15,1944 MLLYIAM L. GouLo,

Patented Sept. 24, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC IRONWilliam L. Gould, Albany, N. Y. Application April 15, 1944, Serial No.531,250

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to electric irons of that type embodying a,plurality of sections which may be used together or separately toprovide irons of different Weights and sizes.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an electriciron of the above kind in which each iron section has a permanent handlemember, an electrical heating element and a plug for reception of thesocket of an attachment cord whereby the heating element may beconnected with a source of electricity, each iron section having anironing surface, mechanical means being provided to rigidly connect theiron sections together to form a continuous ironing surface, and meansincluding the attachment plug of one section and an electrical connectorsocket carried by the other iron section being provided to interconnectthe heating elements of the sections when they are mechanically securedtogether.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an electric ironof th above kind wherein each iron section has a handle member, anelectrical heating element, and an attachment plug for reception of thesocket of an attachment cord whereby the electrical heating element ofeach iron section may be connected with a source of electricity,mechanical means being provided to connect the iron sections together,and the handle members of the sections being constructed and arranged tocoact when the iron sections are assembled to form a most satisfactoryhandle for the heavier iron presented by the assembled iron sections.

With the above objects in view, and others that will become apparent asthe nature of the invention is better understood, the present inventionconsists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parthereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings andclaimed.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicatecorresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an electric iron constructed inaccordance with the present invention.

Figur 2 is a front elevational view thereof.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the same.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section taken on theplane of line 4-4 of Figure 7 is a top plan view of a modified form ofthe invention.

Figure 8 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 8-8 ofFigure '7.

Figure 9 is a side elevational view, partly broken away and in section,of the iron shown in Figur '7.

Figure 10 is a bottom plan view, partly broken away and in section, of afurther modification of the present invention.

R f rrin in detail to the drawings, and particularly to the embodimentof the invention shown in Figures 1 to 6, inclusive, the iron includetwo sections 5 and 5a, each having an ironing surface 6 and Ba andprovided with a permanent handle member 1 and la. Also, in thisembodiment, each iron section has a pointed front end 8 and 8a. Theupper surface of the pointed forward end of each section is preferablyrounded and inclined to the ironing surface. Accordingly, the frontsection 5 is provided in its rear end and under side with a cavity orrecess 9 to receive the forward end of the rear section 5a and to solocate the sections with respect to each other, when said sections arejoined together, that the surfaces 6 and 6a. will present a continuousironing surface. Any suitable means may b provided to mechanicallyconnect the sections together, such as aligned ears l0 and l l onopposite sides of the iron sections, which ears are adapted to receivebolts l2 having nuts l 3 threaded thereon to tightly draw the ironsections together. The handle members I and la are preferably so formedand arranged that they will align with each other at their adjacent endsand coact to form a most desirable large handle for the heavy ilOnpresented when the iron sections are joined together. However, it willbe apparent that when the iron sections are separated, each of them willhave a permanent handle member so that either one may be independentlyused with respect to the other. In order to make this completelypossible, each iron section is provided at the rear thereof with anattachment plug M or Ma adapted to receive the socket of an attachmentcord, each iron section having its own independent heating element. Asshown in Figure 6, the section 5 has a heating element l5 electricallyconnected to the plug l4, while the section 5a has a heating element I5aelectrically connected to the plug Ha. I

Provided at the front of the rear iron section 5a is an electricalsocket l6 adapted to receive the contact pins of the plug I4 of thefront section 5a when the iron sections are mechanically joinedtogether, the contacts of the socket It being connected to the plug Maof the iron sec tion 5a. Thus, when the iron sections are joinedtogether, their heating elements are automatically electricallyconnected together in parallel by connecting the corresponding terminalsof plugs M and Na in series so that both ironing surfaces 6 and 6a willbe heated. In this event, the socket of the attachment cord will ofcourse be applied to the exposed plug Ma of the rear iron section 5a.

In the embodiment of Figures 7 to 9, inclusive, the iron is composed ofa main larger lower iron section 5 and an upper smaller iron section 5aadapted to be centrally disposed upon the section 5' and mechanicallysecured thereon by means of screws l2 passing through marginal recessedportions of the upper section 5a and threaded into the lower section 5'.When the sections are used together, only the ironing surface 6' of thelower section 5 is used. However, the upper section 5a has a bottomironing surface 6a which is used when the upper iron section is employedby itself upon being detached from the lower section 5. The sections 5and 511 respectively have heating elements l5 and lint, the former beingconnected with an attachment plug l4 and the latter being connected withan attachment plug Ma. The plugs I4 and Ma are respectively located atthe rear ends of the sections 5 and 5a, as shown in Figure '7.

Section 5 has a handle member I, while section So has a handle memberla. These handle members are used and they coact the same as the handlesections 1 and la of the iron shown in Figure 1, except that the smallerupper iron section 511 has an opening I! therethrough upwardly throughwhich the handle member 1' of the iron section 5 projects. This permitsthe handle member I to pass downwardly through the opening i! when theiron sections are separated. In other words, it permits separation ofthe iron sections even though each has its own permanent handle member.Obviously, either iron section may be used alone, or they may be used inassembled relation, depending upon the size and weight of iron which itis desired to use.

In the embodiment of Figure 10, the iron sections 5b and 5c aremechanically joined in endto-end relation by means of bolts lib passingthrough lugs Nib and lib on the adjacent flat rear ends of the sections,a nut [3b being threaded on each bolt so that the sections may betightly drawn and secured together. A main distinction between this formof the invention and that shown in Figure l is that the iron sectionspoint away from each other instead of in the same direction. The ironsection 511 has a handle member lb, and the iron section 50 has a handlemember 'Ic respectively corresponding to the handle members 1 and la ofFigure 1. Also, each iron section 5?) and 50 has its own electricalheating element and is provided with a fiat bottom ironing surface 62)and 6c. The surfaces 61) and 60 form a continuous ironing surface whenthe sections 5?) and 5c are secured together. In this embodiment, theflat rear ends of the sections have electric sockets I51) and H50, whilea double connector plug I8 is provided to simultaneously engage both ofthe sockets [6b and I60 for electrically connecting the heating elementsof the two iron sections in parallel with each other as in the form ofFigures 1 to 6, inclusive when said iron sections are joined together.Either iron section may have an additional plug corresponding to plugMa. The

connector plug I8 may be left in either the socket I62) or the socketI60 when the iron sections are separated, whereby either desired ironsection may be employed by itself. For instance, if the connector plugI8 is left engaged in the socket I 62) of the iron section 5b, one setof contact pins of the connector plug [8 will project from said section5b for reception in the socket of an attachment cord. In a like manner,if the connector plug I8 is left engaged in the socket of the section50, a set of contact pins of the connector plu I8 will project from saidsection 50 for reception in the socket of the attachment cord. It willthus be apparent that either iron section may be employed alone andconnected with a source of electricity for heating its ironing surface.Any suitable means may be providedfor releasably securing the connectorplug I8 to the particular iron section in which it is allowed to remainengaged. Obviously, when the iron sections are separated, each will haveits own handle-member. r I

An advantage of the construction shown in Figures 7 to 9, inclusive, isthat it presents an unbroken ironing surface when the iron sections arejoined together. However, this is not a serious objection with the otherforms of the invention if they are accurately aligned and carefullyconstructed so that the ironing surfaces of the iron sections will beexactly flush when the iron sections are secured together. This requiressome precision in manufacture so as to afford no shoulder or break atthe joint between the sections of the iron. I

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction andoperation, as well as the advantages of the present invention, will bereadily apparent to those skilled in the art. The invention issusceptible of other modifications and changes in details ofconstruction such as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of thinvention as claimed.

What I claim is:

1. An electric iron comprising a plurality of at least two ironsections, each having a pointed front end and an ironing surface andeach pro vided with a separate permanent handle member, a heatingelement for each iron section, means at one end of each iron section tofacilitate electrical connection of its heating element with a source ofelectricity, and mechanical means for rigidly securing said ironsections together.-

2. An electric iron comprising a plurality of at least two ironsections, each having a pointed front end and an ironing surface andeach provided with a separate permanent handle member, a heating elementfor each iron section, means at one end of each iron section tofacilitate electrical connection of its heating element with a source ofelectricity, and mechanical means for rigidly securing said ironsections together, the handle members of the sections being so formedand arranged that they will align and coast to form an enlarged handlefor the heavier iron provided by the assembled iron sections.

3. An electric iron comprising a plurality of at least two ironsections, each having a pointed front end and an ironing surface andeach provided with a separate handle member and an electrical heatingelement, means to mechanically secure said iron sections together inabutting relation so that their ironing surfaces form a continuousironing surface, means to facilitate electrical connection of theheating element of one iron section with a source of electricity, and

means to automatically connect the heating elements of the other sectionto said second-named means when said sections are joined together.

4. An electric iron comprising a plurality of at least two iro-nsections, each having an ironing surface and an electrical heatingelement, means to mechanically secure said iron sections together inabutting relation so that their ironing surfaces form a continuousironing surface, means to facilitate electrical connection of theheating element of one iron section with a source of electricity, andmeans to automatically connect the heating element of the other sectionto said second-named means when said sections are joined together, onesection havin a cavity at its read end, both of said sections having arounded pointed forward end, the forward end of the other section beingadapted to snugly fit in said cavity.

5. An electric iron comprising a plurality of two iron sections eachhaving a fiat rear end and a pointed front end, mechanical means tosecure the sections together with their fiat rear ends in abuttingrelation, said sections having ironing surfaces adapted to form acontinuous ironing surface when the sections are joined together, aseparate handle member permanent with each iron section, an electricalconnector socket at the rear end of each iron section, and

a double-ended connector plug separable from either iron section andadapted to connect the connector sockets of the iron sections when saidiron sections are joined together and to provide means for electricallyconnecting the heating element of either iron section with a source ofelectricity when the iron sections are separated.

6. An electric iron comp-rising a relatively large lower iron sectionhaving a pointed front end and an ironing surface and provided with ahandle member, an upper smaller iron section superposed upon thefirst-named iron section and detachably rigidly secured thereon, saidsmaller iron section havin a pointed front end and an ironing surface, ahandle member permanently carried by the second iron section, each ironsection having an electrical heating element, and an attachment plug onthe rear end of each iron section for facilitating connection thereofwith a source of electricity, the smaller upper iron section having anopening permitting the passage of the handle member of the lower ironsection upwardly therethrough when the iron sections are assembled, saidhandle members being so formed and arranged that they will align andcoact to form an enlarged handle for the heavier iron provided by theassembled iron sections.

WILLIAM L. GOULD.

